Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes Jacket

Bob Dylan’s Basement Tapes Jacket was worn by the iconic singer-songwriter on the cover of the famous 1975 album ‘The Basement Tapes’.

Item Description

This one-off jacket is made from a Cheumash Indian blanket, and features a red and white striped design with grey swirling patterns on the reverse and black piping.

Bob Dylan wore the jacket during the photography shoot for the Basement Tapes official album cover in 1975. The photograph was taken in the basement of the Los Angeles YMCA by Reid Miles, and has become one of the most famous album cover images of all time.

The jacket was borrowed from a female friend of Dylan’s, who wore it despite it being too small for him. This led to the jacket being ripped along the back and the sleeves, although this damage was later repaired.

The jacket is accompanied by a letter of provenance from the owner, who describes her friendship with Dylan and how he came to borrow the jacket.

Background

In 1967, whilst recovering from a serious motorcycle crash, Bob Dylan got together with members of his backing band The Hawks (who would later become the Band) to record a series of informal jam sessions in Woodstock, New York.

After the response to his recent tour, which saw folk fans calling him ‘Judas’ for playing rock and roll, the sessions focused on the roots of American music. They played a combination of traditional folk, blues and bluegrass songs along with original compositions, with Dylna’s new songs in stark contrast to those on his previous album Highway 61 Revisited.

Over 100 tracks were recorded, and over the following years appeared on the market as highly sought-after bootlegs. In 1975, several of the tracks were compiled onto an official release, which was described in the New York Times as “one of the greatest albums in the history of American popular music”.

The album has since built a legendary status as one of the most influential albums in music history.

Auction sale

The jacket was placed up for sale in May 2012 by the auction company PFC Auctions.